The Doctor Is In
by GallifreyGryffindorGirl
Summary: What happens when the Doctor regenerate's and refuses to take Clara home, knowing she might not come back to him? Clara has no choice but to help him remember who he is, but can she even bring him back? M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Do you have any idea how to fly this thing?"

Clara wasn't sure if time slowed down in the TARDIS – if the old ship wanted she could probably do that after all – but she knew for certain that a thousand thoughts slipped through her mind the second this new face asked her that question. Many of them worried if this man was in fact still the Doctor, some of them reasons that he had not flown the TARDIS is years, that it was reasonable he may have forgotten, but another thought louder than the rest told her to move!

She dove for the console in a sudden panic, yet thankful for those flying lessons the Doctor had insisted on giving her. The new Doctor was hot on her heels, practically plastered to her back as she moved to flip switches and pull levers. She could feel his breath on her neck and resisted a shudder. Thankfully for once the TARDIS seemed to be working with her rather than against her, and they soon landed – even if the landing was a bit rough.

Clara leaned against the TARDIS railing breathing hard from adrenaline. Her eyes flicked about and spotted the Doctor doing the same beside her, but with a manic grin on his face.

"Good girl, calm in a crisis, think I'll have to keep you." He said, straightening suddenly and prowling around the console room.

"Keep m- what are you doing?" Clara turned away from him as he suddenly began to remove his clothes.

"New me, new wardrobe!" he declared, still sounding a tad manic.

"Do you really need to strip right here?" Clara asked, averting her eyes and resisting the urge to actually take a look at him. Even the TARDIS was making an offended noise – though that could have been because of the crash. Clara lay a hand on the cold wall panel for herself and for the ship.

"Ah, sorry. You humans are so fickle about nudity." He said. Clara didn't look again until she had heard the metallic sound of footsteps heading away from her.

When he was gone the TARDIS gave a hum, and Clara felt the physic link with the ship lick against her conscious mind convey a feeling of unease. "Easy girl…" Clara felt sympathetic with ship and patted its cold metal wall, she wasn't too sure about this new regeneration either. "Still, being the pilot doesn't mean he can throw his clothes all around you, am I right?" Clara asked the ship out loud, picking up the various articles of clothing the Doctor had scattered on his way to the wardrobe. She paused as she picked up the bowtie, and pocketed the tiny article of clothing. She could mourn her Doctor later, right now she was worried about this new one.

Clara followed the Doctor towards the wardrobe, hoping he was already dressed when she arrived. She was in luck for once because he had already dressed – pairing a simple white dress shirt with black pants, he had dove into his racks and racks of coats. Clara said nothing but began to hang Eleven's clothes on the empty hangers just behind Ten's long trench coat. She had a sudden flash of memories about ten, and shook her head to shake them out.

"Ah, what do you think?" the new rough voice asked behind her.

He'd found a deep dark blue jacket lined with red that flared when he put his hands in his trouser pockets. He opened his arms, presenting himself to her and open to her opinion.

"Very nice, suits the new you." She replied quietly, giving him a tiny smile.

The Doctors smile slipped and his hands dropped. He stalked towards her suddenly, and Clara resisted the urge to step back. He took the old clothes from her and threw them behind him, placing his hands on the tops of her arms and dragging her closer to him. Clara was so shocked at the action she didn't struggle. She met cold blue eyes as he said "You're not _his_ anymore, you were never _his_. Your _mine_."

Clara frowned. "What's the difference?" she asked, probably focusing on the least concerning part of his statement.

He gave her a smirk then. "There's a difference, though I do not expect you to understand it – at least not yet. I'm not _him_, even though _he_ is me."

"Oh?" Clara tried not to be confused by that statement, she was too tired for this. "Who are you then?"

"Not sure, haven't figured it out yet." He shrugged, his grip on her arms had loosened a fraction and his thumbs where stroking the insides of her arms.

"Alright… well, while you're figuring that out would you mind dropping me home? I really want to go to bed…"

His grip tightened enough to bruise and Clara squeaked in surprise and pain. He looked furious, desperate and sad all in one and very suddenly. "No! No, you can't leave me Clara, not yet, please!"

Clara was shocked. "Doctor, please, I'd come back don't worry. I just need to get some rest, I'm tired." She tried to calm him.

"No, no Clara, you might not come back. I might not be the Doctor without you. I need you."

"You can't just refuse to take me home. I have a life back there, a family…"

"We're in a time machine Clara, they need not know you've been gone."

"That's not the point…"

His demeanour changed suddenly again, his grip still tight on her arms however. "I don't have to take you home."

Clara glared. "You can't just kidnap me!"

"I'm not kidnapping you, I'm sure to take you home eventually. Just not right now." He shrugged.

"But-"

"Clara, I need you." He sighed suddenly, sounding defeated, he dragged her closer and pulled her against him in what was not quite a hug, more like a desperate need for contact. "I need you." He whispered.

Clara sighed eventually against his solid chest, feeling the double thump of both his hearts against her head. "Alright." She said, pushing away from him and putting distance between them. He let her go, loosening his grip on her arms. "Alright, I'll help you. But that does not mean I'm happy about it."

She calmly walked out of the huge room he called the wardrobe. Once she'd gone down a few corridors she allowed herself to break into the panicked run she'd wanted to do since leaving the room. She turned a corner and found a room, her room, waiting just behind it. She slammed and locked the door behind her and threw herself on the bed, scared and upset, she felt a bit better to notice the TARDIS had somehow materialized her favourite family photo on the bedside table. She grabbed it and held the photo to her chest. "Thanks' Blue." She murmured, knowing the sentient ship would not go against the Doctor's wishes and take her home – but at least she was sympathetic.

**0o0**

Clara was starting to develop an itch.

She usually did when she was cooped up indoors for several days. At least at home, on earth, she could pop out into the back garden or open a window to get some fresh air, but the TARDIS was just drifting in space. Even when she sat on the edge of the doors, her legs hanging out as she watched entire galaxies and planets as they floated past, there was no fresh breeze.

Clara was pretty sure the Doctor was afraid she was going to run from him if he landed the TARDIS anywhere. The thought frustrated her – she wasn't prone to running off on mysterious alien planets when, knowing her look, she'd probably find the only dangerous alien there. As it was she was hardly able to vent her frustrations at the Doctor himself because he seemed to vanish every time she tried.

She was currently lay on her bed in the TARDIS screaming into a pillow. The TARDIS brushed against her mind and she got the impression that the ship was just as irritated as Clara was. Maybe that could work in her favour. She jumped out of bed and headed down the halls of the ship. "Come on, let me find him! I want to land just as much as you do Blue!"

The ship agreed, because at the next corner Clara found the library which had been the kitchen just this morning.

The Doctor was asleep on the battered grey couch, a book held close to his chest. She paused at first, she'd never actually seen the Doctor sleep before, this was a rare sight, but her irritation got the best of her and she stomped over.

His eyes flew open just as she reached him. He frowned, looking around. "Yes?" he asked.

"I – no, _we_ – want to land." Clara practically growled. The TARDIS made an agreeing ring.

"No! Why?" The Doctor sat up fast and frowned.

"Because being cooped up in the TARDIS isn't healthy for any of us – and I think she's two steps away from just landing anywhere and kicking us out." Clara sighed and sat down beside him, far enough away that he couldn't grab her again like in the wardrobe. "Look, we need to get out, even if it's just for a walk if that's all your comfortable with for now. I'm getting more than a bit restless."

The Doctor looked at her calmly, his voice hesitated when he spoke. "Just for a walk?"

"Yes."

"I know a good place for that." He suddenly sprang up, running for the control room – Clara ran after him.

Short while later, he invited Clara to open the doors of the TARDIS, which she did on an amazing landscape. The long swaying grass was a beautiful green-blue, just a few shades darker than the sky above. A huge waterfall cascaded down into a gorgeous pond below it. The only downside Clara could see where the gathering rain clouds.

"It's beautiful, but it looks like it will rain. Did you plan this to be a short walk?" she asked suspiciously as he came up beside her.

He looked offended. "No, the rain is exactly what we're here _for_."

Behind them the TARDIS sounded a sinister gong, her doors suddenly slapped them from behind in her own effective way of kicking them out. "What the hell was that?" Clara asked, rubbing her back where the wood had slapped it.

"Bloody woman, can't wait five seconds until she gives herself a make-over." The Doctor was also rubbing his back. "She won't let us back in now, not for a good few hours. Better find some cover for when the rains come." He grabbed her by the hand and led her towards the lake.

"I still don't understand why you brought us here if you knew it was going to rain."

"Just wait, you'll see."

An hour later, Clara was sitting in the long grass beneath a huge centuries old tree with a battered copy of the Hobbit on her lap that she'd found in the TARDIS library a few days ago. The Doctor was on the other side of the trunk, leaning back with his eyes closed he wasn't asleep but Clara figured it might be his equivalent of a catnap.

A sudden sharp clear musical note sounded around them. Clara looked up, startled. The notes started again, Clara put down her book and looked towards the Lake. It took her a few minutes to identify the sound of the music.

"It's the rain?" she breathed the question, not sure who she was asking.

"Yes." The Doctor answered her. He'd at some point moved around the tree to sit beside her instead. "These are the singing rains of Zotania. Most of the planet is lakes and rivers, when it rains and falls into the water it creates a musical note -"

"Shh" Clara laughed in a hushed voice. "Don't get all science-y on me now, it's beautiful. Let's just leave it at that."

"Yeah, alright. It's Beautiful."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two **

Since visiting the Singing rains of Zotania, the Doctor had become much more relaxed. Well, he wasn't averse to landing the TARDIS anymore, and he no longer ran out of the room when Clara began to ask him questions. However there was still the problem that he seemed unable to even want to get involved when trouble started. Twice he had just left at the first sign of trouble. The last time he clear blindsided Clara, refused to tell her why these soldiers where beginning him to stay, to help them fight, he had to all but strap Clara into the TARDIS so they could leave.

"What the hell is with you lately?" Clara asked angrily once he'd finally stopped looking like he might actually kill her for asking. Of course her question just riled him back up again.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me." He snapped.

"Oh really? Because last I knew of the Doctor he wouldn't have just run away from people who needed his help!"

"They didn't need my help, they were soldiers who wanted me to kill for them!" he cried.

"What about the people before them? You refused to help them too!" Clara pointed out.

"Maybe it's about time the universe learned to defend for itself. Maybe they should learn that the Doctor isn't always just going to drop out of the sky and save them all!" he replied bitterly, refusing to look at her.

"_You_ are not the Doctor." Clara said in a quiet angry voice. He turned around like she'd struck him. "The Doctor is never cruel or cowardly. That was his promise. The Doctor would have stayed to help those people and _you_, you didn't."

"I did it for you Clara." He practically growled at her now, new rough voice sounded threatening. "I've watched you die far too many times for me to count, my predecessor may have had little problem taking you, the real you, back out into those dangers but I cannot handle the thought of losing my Clara…" he said it like an angry confession.

"Don't you dare use me as an excuse!" Clara growled back "I've been through your timeline, I know things I shouldn't know, I remember nearly every one of my deaths and every moment you saved someone. I trust you completely and utterly, don't you think you should owe me that trust _not_ to get myself hurt or in trouble?"

He said nothing, just looked at her, before he turned around to the control panel and began to fiddle with the buttons. Clara sighed, still angry, she stalked out of the control room intending to head for her room to calm down, instead at the last minute she found herself heading for the library where she had spent a lot of time lately. She picked up the apparent original manuscript of Macbeth by Shakespeare she had begun earlier and resumed her place on the large red sofa that had appeared with the TARDIS's latest redecoration.

Sometime later, Clara became aware that the tickling hairs on the back of her neck where trying to tell her she was being watched. She glanced up, spotting the Doctor watching her from the doorway. Once he knew he had been spotted, he came into the library and sat at the other end of the sofa as far away from her as he could reach, but on the same seat.

"Do you really think I'm a coward?" he asked quietly into the hushed silence of the library. There was no trace of anger in his voice, nor on his expression.

"No" Clara replied with a sigh, putting down Macbeth and giving him her full attention. "I was just angry and a little upset. I wanted to help those soldiers, but you were right. They wanted you to kill for their cause…"

"I can't prevent wars."

"I know that."

They both paused, not really sure what to say next.

"Clara. About the memories of your echo's…?" he asked in a voice that told her bad news was about to follow.

"Yeah, I thought you said I would only remember tiny flashes. But these come all the time – sometimes in dreams, or if you say or I see something that is familiar to a memory. Sometimes I don't even realise that's what they are at all, and sometimes they hurt like they're crushing me…"

"Clara that's really not good, you should have told me sooner."

"You had your own problems, coming off the back of a difficult regeneration and all."

"Doesn't mean I couldn't help you."

"I didn't want you to focus completely on me, though apparently that's out the window. Are you really too concerned about my safety to go out and save people like you used to?" Clara was looking him directly in the eyes, and he found it difficult to turn away at all. "Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"If I get hurt it's my own damn fault and you'll have to deal with it." Clara huffed.

"Are you going to let me help you with the memories or not Clara?" The Doctor huffed back.

She paused, noticing of course his quick switch of topic. "Fine."

He waved for her to shuffle closer to him on the couch, which she did until their knees where touching. She was painfully aware of the heat she felt coming from him, once again wondering if Timelords were just naturally hotter than humans.

"I'm going to build walls and block some of the memories out alright?" he said, hands hovering over her temples.

"Okay."

He hesitated. "This could leave some residual contact between my mind and yours… it could go one way, it could go both ways. If it does Clara I ask that you mind my privacy and don't wander into a mind that is not yours."

"Of course, though you might have to teach me how."

"Of course."

Without further hesitation the Doctor lightly placed his hands on the sides of her face. She wasn't sure exactly how to describe the feeling of having the Doctor rearrange her thoughts and memories, only that she could feel almost invisible fingers combing through her mind. The memories he hid from her, it wasn't quite like she forgot them. She knew she had them, but she couldn't remember them – as though memory of the entire situation had fallen out of her head. She noticed that the Doctor was rather selective of the memories he hid from her- they were mostly the memories of her deaths. Not that she minded, remembering dying wasn't really nice.

When he was done, he removed his hands from her face slowly and gave a slight smile. Clara's smile was brighter. They spent the rest of the afternoon in a companioned silence, breaking it occasionally with questions and thoughts, but otherwise enjoying each other's company.

OoO

_Clara smiled as the Doctor held her softly, bending down he stole a kiss from her soft lips. She smiled more against his mouth, arms going around his neck as she deepened the kiss, when he bit down on her lower lip she allowed him access without a fight, moaning as his tongue explored her mouth. _

_Clara began to fumble with the buttons of the Doctors shirt, pushing his coat down his shoulders already. His hands where calmer than hers, taking their time as they began to brush the skin under the hem of her shirt, smoothing over the soft skin of her sides and round her back, fingertips brushing her spine lightly as they when further up, pushing her shirt up with them. _

Clara woke suddenly, sitting up in bed panting. "_What the hell was that?"_ she asked herself since no one but the TARDIS could probably hear her anyway, and she expected the TARDIS would be just as confused as her.

Clara rubbed her bare arms as she sat there in the dark, lights starting to come on slowly as if the ship was gradually waking up herself. She'd _never_ had a dream like that about the Doctor, despite any small attraction she felt for him.

Alright she lied to herself. Clara was attracted to the Doctor, no lying about it. It was strange in fact that his predecessor has been the one to hug her, hold her, make compliments and press soft kisses to her forehead, and yet while enjoying the gestures she had never felt anything for him. This new Doctor however… there was something in his ice-blue eyes that had Clara wondering what it would be like with the Doctor. Eleven she would have assumed to be more playful than anything, but Twelve… he looked like a man who could use the 2000 years of experience he probably had and really show her a good time.

And yet a dream like that still concerned her. She'd never dreamed like that before, not about any man. Clara threw herself back down in the bed, flinging the blanket from her body now that she was feeling far too hot.

She felt the psychic connection of the TARDIS open for a second against her mind.

"_This could leave some residual contact between my mind and yours…"_ a memory of the Doctors words echoed in her mind.

Clara frowned at the roof. "Are you suggesting it was the Doctors dream, not mine?" she asked thin air, wondering if the TARDIS would even make an attempt at a reply.

The ship hummed.

"If it was… he wouldn't like you telling on him you know?" was all Clara could think as a reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three **

Clara had thought the Doctor was settling into his new regeneration nicely, and while that was mostly true she had noticed he still had a few bumps in the road. Of course he had said this was a difficult regeneration, yet even he seemed concerned that some things seem to have just… been 'lost in the reboot' as he said.

Other things, Clara had long realised, where just a part of this new personality – maybe even the things he had forgotten where apart of this personality. She seriously doubted this Doctor would ever be a people person, but the anger he kept very close to the surface of his emotions was new. Then again 2000 years of accumulated anger was sure to have shown up eventually.

Clara hadn't realised she was staring at the Doctor while she was thinking about this. Nor had she realised he was speaking.

"Sorry?" she asked, blinking at him as he glared at her arms crossed and tapping one foot.

"I was asking why you were staring at me like that, but considering you were so obviously in your own little world you may not have even noticed your rather unnerving stare."

"My 'unnerving stare'?" Clara frowned.

"Yes" he waved a hand at her "Your eyes were doing a thing."

"Be more specific than 'a thing' and I'll try not to do 'a thing' again?" Clara snorted, amused.

He had gone back to fiddling with some little machine he was trying to make that detected something or other. To Clara it looked like a hand held radio. He'd been fiddling around making little machines for a few days now after Clara caught him getting very confused at a few technical items around the TARDIS – including forgetting some of the flying instructions. He'd tried to fix the kettle in the kitchen and it had somehow blown up in her face when she tried to make tea. "I don't know. Emotions. There's a reason they say eyes are like mirrors."

"I don't think I can stop that, it's not like I control it. Why does it unnerve you anyway, everyone has emotions in their eyes not just me."

"It's not the emotions in eyes that bothered me. It was the emotions I saw in _your_ eyes." He mumbled just loud enough to hear him, but before she could reply the phone began to ring.

They both looked at each other, startled. However the Doctor just shrugged, content to ignore it and went back to fiddling with his device. With an irritated sigh Clara got up and answered the console phone. "Hello, you have reached the TARDIS hotline. If you're trying to reach the Doctor you will have to speak with me for the moment, he's being a cankerous idiot at the moment and will not come to the phone."

He snorted behind her, but she saw the hint of a smile tug at the corner of his lips and knew he had found it amusing rather than offensive.

"Hello to you too" a distinctively American accent replied back "You sound just delightful-"

The phone was obviously taken from the American because she heard him protest shortly before a woman replaced him "Hi, sorry about Jack he flirts before he even see's what he's flirting with. Even then that doesn't really matter. Could you put the Doctor on the phone please?"

Clara offered the phone to the Doctor with a wave, but he just glared at her like she was offering a child sprouts and she began speaking with a sigh. "Sorry he's refusing to come to the phone – a real grumpy git this time around." Clara stuck her tongue out at the Doctor and this time he could hide the smirk.

"Oh he's regenerated?"

"Recently. Still ironing out the wrinkles – not literally" Clara added more for his benefit.

"Could you pass on a message?"

"Sure."

The woman on the phone prattled off the address of an apartment in Cardiff, as well as a time and date knowing they were in a time machine of course. Once off the phone Clara leaned on the console worrying her lip, knowing she recognised the voice of the phone but not able to place it. She could feel memories of that voice just slipping beyond her grasp when she tried to reach them, and assumed it was one of the other-Clara's memories.

"Are you not going to tell me who it was on the phone?" the Doctor asked, looking up at her for a second before going back to his device.

"If you wanted to know you'd have answered it yourself." She replied.

"Ah but as you so eloquently said, I am a grumpy git this time around." He fixed her with a stare that gave nothing away. Clara couldn't tell at all how he felt about that statement, so she continued to treat it as a joke.

"That is true. You don't seem a people person, maybe I should answer the phone from now on. Unless it's a telemarketer." She joked, a little more than pleased when he grinned back. He rarely seemed to grin or genuinely smile or laugh anymore, she loved it when he did.

"So?" he asked after another few minutes.

"Well I'm fairly certain the first voice was Captain Jack Harkness – I remember him, right corndog. The second voice was a woman, I remember the voice but not the name. She asked if you would meet them at this address and date because there's something going on in Cardiff." She handed him the note she took.

He sprang up with a sudden agility, momentarily invading her personal space as he brushed past her before he entered the date and time into the TARDIS "Sounds like an adventure Clara, and I was getting bored so just in time too."

"God forbid you should get bored." Clara replied exasperated, catching his smirk across the console at her as she took up the seat he had just vacated.

"God forbid indeed" was his quiet reply as he approached, reaching over her to pick up the device he had dropped, completely invading her personal space for longer than was needed before he retreated over to the end of the console room.

His prolonged contact made Clara think back to the rather intimate dreams. She'd only had a few more since the first, though they had all be relatively tame all of them ending before anything too explicit happened. Still, the TARDIS' hint that the dreams might have been the Doctors and not hers still played on her mind. He was hot and cold, sometimes acting even a fraction attracted to her other times he was insulting and distant. Maybe the TARDIS was mistaken and the dreams really where hers… she had to admit, she'd always had a secret thing for a silver fox.

The TARDIS landing and the Doctor taking her hand to lead her outside brought her out of any thoughts about the dreams – well out of any thoughts since she'd become aware that physical touch would often somehow accidentally sent telepathic messages between her and the Doctor, but only if they were powerful.

"Are you sure we're at the right address?" Clara asked as soon as they stepped out into a rather shabby looking apartment.

"Yes, though I share your scepticism. This place seems too normal to need my help – or to have Jack Harkness living in it." he sniffed.

"That's because I don't live in it, I'm hiding in it." the sound of Jack Harkness's voice came from behind the TARDIS, and after exchanging a surprised look with the Doctor, Clara edged around to find that the they had landed and wedged Jack in between one of the simple grey walls and the TARDIS with barely a hairs breath between them. "Hello beautiful, nice to meet you." He said, giving Clara a wink.

She snorted "Figures, almost crushed by a TARDIS and still fliting."

He managed to scuttle out from the tiny space, just as the TARDIS engines began to sound. Clara stepped back in surprised but the Doctor ran forward with a cry, trying to stop his machine but too late. He hung his head suddenly as Clara fixed him with a reproachful stare. "When you were fiddling with the console wires the other day, you turned the HADS back on didn't you?" she accused.

"No. I might have. Accidentally." He glared at her "If you hadn't kept nattering on at me I probably wouldn't have."

Clara raised an eyebrow at him "Yeah this is my fault. Nothing to do with you having lost any tech savvy marbles in that old head of yours."

While they were arguing they hadn't noticed two more people enter the room. When Clara finally did notice she cut across what would have been dry retort from the Doctor she was sure to say "Oh I knew I recognised the voice on the phone!"

A marginally older Martha Jones frowned at this. "I'm sorry we haven't me- actually… weren't you another intern at my hospital?"

Clara worried her lip. "Kind of."

"Long story." The Doctor added, he had come to stand just behind Clara a fraction as if afraid of his old companions and using her to shield him. Hell maybe that was a good idea, he so obviously not being a people person these days it might be better for her to handle the talking.

Micky Smith was grinning a little. "Looks like you lucked out in the looks department this time Doctor."

Clara felt the Doctor straighten behind her, glimpsed one of his hands tightening into a fist that had his knuckles turn white. "This face came with a more dangerous, volatile man as well so why don't we just keep our comments to ourselves Micky Mouse?" he growled, staring with his ice blue eyes.

Clara could swear she felt the tension rise. "That was rude" she said with a nod to Micky, and a slight frown before she turned to the Doctor instead "And don't take your grumps out on these guys, they're your friends. You have less of them then enemies so make them count."

The Doctors fists loosening where the only indicators that he was listening to her at all, but that was all she needed.

"So, why did you call the Doctor?" Clara asked the uncertain looking trio.

OoO

Something was hunting old companions of the Doctor. That was all they knew – Micky, Martha and Jack had all escaped this unseen beast but only just. They described how it had felt to have this creatures invisible hooks in their minds clawing and scraping at any memory of the Doctor they could find. The Creature had been dislodged when their team-mates had clipped memory hiders in the form of bracelets to their wrists – which Martha did to Clara and the Doctor as soon as they got close enough.

"We decided to hide out here after that, away from our team." Micky explained. "Which is when the cheesecake over there decided to call you Doctor."

"Figured the one this thing is after would be the one to stop it" Jack shrugged.

The Doctor was sitting on the beat up sofa in the rest of the shabby looking apartment. Clara was keeping a close eye on him – he hadn't said anything since Micky's comment on his appearance – but she trusted his attitude and temper enough to help Martha in the tiny kitchen.

"So how long has it been since he regenerated?" Martha asked, stirring the pan. "Since he's seen us anyway?"

Clara winced as she puzzled it out, whish Martha hadn't asked. "Somewhere around 900 years… under 1000 years though…"

Martha looked like she'd been punched in the gut, so Clara tried to repair it. "He's regenerated twice since then. This is his twelfth incarnation."

Martha looked a bit better about that. "How do you know so much about him, and us?"

Clara of course had known this question would come up with her, especially when she'd seen the glimmers of sudden recognition in both Micky and Jacks faces too.

"Long story short, I jumped into the Doctors time stream to stop The Great Intelligence from destroying every _him_ there has even been and save him. It ripped me apart and scattered me across all of time and space, where I either directly saved the Doctor or indirectly saved someone who would in future save the Doctor – like you, Micky or Jack."

Martha for her part took that information in her stride. She gave a small laugh. "Ha, that was the short version?"

"The long version has a lizard lady." Clara grinned, passing plates down the kitchen side so Martha could dish up food. She was a little worried she hadn't heard the Doctor speaking.

"Soups up boys!" Clara leaned over the counter to call, more than a tiny bit concerned to see the three men glaring at each other. She was even more concerned when the Doctor did not get up to fetch his own food and instead she had to take a plate over to him.

"What's this?" he frowned at her as the others came and sat down too.

"Spaghetti Doctor."

"Spaghetti?"

"You eat it Doctor."

"I don't need to eat." He sniffed.

Clara poked him in the side "Then do it to be _polite_." She said.

He looked grumpy about it, but he began to eat anyway.

After a few moments Micky asked "So, what happened to the TARDIS?"

"HADS." Clara replied before the Doctor.

"Which is?"

"Hostile Action Displacement System." The Doctor answered. "If the TARDIS feels threatened she moves to a safe location. Whatever little monster is after you, is enough to scare the TARDIS."

There was a tense pause at this little tid bit.

"Where is the TARDIS Doctor?" Clara finally thought to ask. "Because last time you left the HADS on, she went to the other side of the Earth."

He didn't reply, she startled to fiddle with his food.

"Doctor."

He cleared his throat. "She, uh… didn't land."

"What?"

"She's in orbit about the Earth. I doubt she will come back until this beastie is gone."

Clara rolled her eyes up to the ceiling as if she was able to see the TARDIS in orbit. "Well…" she looked down to her food. "Let's hope we aren't going to need her."

"She would have made tracking this creature easier." Was his grumpy reply.

"Oh it's not going to need tracking." Jack said suddenly, his voice dark. "It comes when it detects memories of the Doctor."

A dark look was passed between the five of them, and they ate in silence.

After dinner Micky seemed to point out a problem. "I hope you don't mind sharing a room with the Doctor." He asked her quietly glaring at the room where they had landed and the Doctor had already retreated.

"If you do you could always share with me, I'd make it memorable though I doubt you'd sleep." Jack winked at her from behind Micky.

"Its fine, I will share." Clara replied with an eye roll.

"You sure? He really seems like a git this time. Even more so than the northern ass he was when I met him." Micky asked curiously.

"What do you expect?" Clara frowned, a little unsure how to handle the hostility Micky treated the Doctor with. "He's been through an awful lot since you guys. Martha already asked how long it's been – how much do you think someone like the Doctor could go through since he last saw you around 900 years ago?"

Jack and Micky both paused to take a look at each other, surprise and shock in their expressions. "Ballpark, what exactly has he been though that could make him act so angry all the time?" Jack dared to ask.

Clara's eyes flickered to the closed bedroom door. He might be old in appearance but this new Doctor had the ears of a bat. She couldn't be sure he wouldn't hear her, but still she dared to explain some things the way she could. "Other than being stuck on a planet at war with the Dalek's for about 600 years… Gallifrey falls no more."

Micky looked blown away, but Jack looked like her understood and asked with shocked wide eyes "He found Gallifrey, his people?"

"No… they're lost, but he thought they were all gone. I don't think he knows what to do anymore, he's angry he can't find them, but I don't think he'd know what to do if he did."

Micky, Jack and Clara all exchanged a look before she bid them goodnight and decided to turn into bed early.

She walked into the simple bedroom and found the Doctor sitting up in the bed, still clothed thankfully, he'd had his eyes closed until she closed the door again behind her. He frowned, glaring. "Yes?" he asked.

"We have to share a room."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four **

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? There's no real choice in the matter unless one of us wants to go bunk with Captain Innuendo next door and I already refused."

The Doctor just glared at her but said nothing, he didn't particularly like the idea of sharing with Jack himself any more than he liked the idea of Clara sharing with him.

Clara gave him an exasperated look. "I'll sleep in the floor if it makes you more comfortable, though I don't see what your problem is. We shared a bed before."

The Doctor gave her a sharp look. "That was the _other_ _one_ Clara."

She gave him a withering look "Still _you_, no matter how different you are, Eyebrows."

He seemed surprise about that, he stood swiftly Clara expecting him to use his sudden extra height to intimidate her like he was prone to do now however he instead took off his jacket hanging it over the headboard and took a pillow off the bed before he settled himself onto the floor. "You take the bed Clara." Was all he said.

Clara was surprised. "I said I would-"

"Clara your little human body needs far more sleep than mine, a sleep unbroken by a hard floor." He said in a harsh tone.

Clara didn't argue, wasn't sure she had the energy too. She removed her jeans, knowing she'd never be able to sleep in the skinny things and thankful she's decided to wear plain shorts instead of lace panties. She got under the covers of the bed and fell into a sound sleep.

_Clara awoke when she felt a hand running up her bare leg, suddenly aware of the warmth and heaviness at her back that could only mean someone was in the bed with her – and yet she was not startled. She knew who it was, and she welcomed his touch. The Doctors hand ghosted up her skin, leaving Goosebumps and tingling in its wake, she wiggled against him when he ghosted over the place she wanted his hands to go and he continued his trail up her body and back down again – teasing her and not touching the places she so wanted him to touch. She wriggled again, pleased to feel his hardness behind her and know she wasn't the only one being teased even if she wasn't the one in control of it. _

_Clara reached behind her without turning around and buried her hand in the Doctors soft curly hair, finding it impossible to turn around in the small bed to face him. She felt him smile into her neck before he kissed the skin there, then bit down gently on the spot where her pulse flicked eliciting a gasp from her- just as his hand decided to head south to the spot that so sorely needed his touch… _

Clara woke abruptly, sitting up in the uncomfortable bed with a gasp. She was sweating a bit, she felt it as she ran a hand through her hair trying to shake the dream from her mind. When her heart had stopped pounding and she felt… normal again, she remembered where she was and who she was with. She looked onto the floor at the Doctor and frowned.

It took her a full second to realise that there was something wrong, and another three too realise that he was shivering. She vaguely remembered the last him explaining to her that it took effort on the Doctors part to maintain his body temperature. Feeling far too hot herself after that dream, Clara pulled the blanket from the bed and, standing up, she threw it over the Doctor neatly.

Stretching then she suddenly became aware of nature calling, and rather than pulling on her jeans Clara grabbed the Doctors Jacket, it came to about mid-thigh on her anyway, and she tip toed to the bathroom.

She must have been gone for all of five minutes but when she came back into the room the Doctor was up and pacing. He practically leaped across the room when she entered, grabbing her by the tops of her arms and pulling her inside shutting the door behind her.

Clara was more than bewildered.

"Where the hell did you go?" he asked harshly.

"Doctor Shh, it's still night time on earth and the others might want to sleep longer." Clara put a finger over her own mouth in demonstration. "And I just got up to go to the bathroom. Why where you in such a panic?"

"Not sure if you were listening earlier but there's some memory snatching baddie out there looking for my companions, and you Clara have over 2000 years' worth of memories about me, quite appetizing to a beast like that." The Doctor emphasized his point by tapping on Clara's temples.

"Alright fair point but no need to get all angry. Quite amusing actually because I could have sworn you weren't listening earlier."

"I-"the Doctors eyes shifted down her body for just a second and back to her face. "Is that my jacket?" he sounded genuinely confused.

"Yeah sorry, I'd have asked but you were asleep. I just didn't fancy bumping into Jack dressed in a shirt and pants."

The Doctor took a step back as she removed the jacket and handed it back to him. Instead of taking the offered garment I just stared at her with wide eyes.

"What?" she asked, wary.

"I-you… where are your trousers?" his voice sounded hollow.

"I couldn't sleep in them."

"Why didn't you put them back on when you woke up?"

"I was going to go back to sleep."

"I… put the jacket back on." He ordered her in a harsh whisper.

Clara sighed and pulled the jacket back on, not willing to cause an argument. "Modesty never used to bother you y'know." She sighed again, memory of the man who took her to church naked as well as the way he'd stripped off as soon as he regenerated danced in her mind and she tried not to grin.

He looked angry again suddenly. "Yes well, the previous me was nothing but a foppish man-child. He would not have cared if you had pranced about in front of him naked."

"Oh like you'd care?" Clara joked, sitting back on the bed with her back against the head board. She noticed the blanket was still on the floor. He must have just jumped up and panicked when she wasn't there.

"I would." Was the Doctors mumbled reply. Clara blushed, pretending she hadn't heard him.

"Are you going to go back to sleep?" she asked him.

"No. I slept enough. You can sleep if you need to though." He was still pacing.

"No I'm good, I won't sleep if I know your awake anyway." She shrugged, eyes tracking him as he paced. "Would you sit down though, your pacing is making me nervous. I feel like something's going to happen just because you're wound up so tight!"

He cast her a glare but sat down opposite her on the foot of the bed.

"Suppose that's the bad part of a time traveller, you can't stand it when your forced to go through time normally can you?" Clara cast him a grin.

He gave her a rueful glare that she'd picked up on his impatience with time itself. Then he leaned forward suddenly very serious. "Why don't we talk about something then?"

"You have a topic in mind?"

The Doctor suddenly pulled out of his trouser pocked a very familiar item. Heavily creased but easily recognisable, his bow tie – the one she had picked up off the TARDIS floor when he suddenly stripped off to change clothes. "How about this one?" he held the tie out for her and dropped it into her palm when she took it. Clara noticed that while his face was a carefully schooled poker face, his eyes screamed sadness and other heart wrenching emotions as he watched her clench her fist around the tie. It must have fallen out of her trouser pocket when she removed them earlier.

"What about it?" Clara's voice was now the one that sounded hollow.

"Correct me if I'm wrong of course, but isn't that _his_ bow tie?"

Clara's eyes snapped up to his face… if it had been anyone else she would have sworn the Doctor was… "Are you jealous?" she asked incredulously.

"I am _not_ jealous" he growled. "What do I have to be jealous about?"

Clara chose not to answer that and head down the complicated road. Instead she just looked at him, eyes narrowed until he gave her an explanation.

"I just don't understand why you needed to keep a memento of him that is all."

He lied. Clara knew it. His shifty gaze that wouldn't look at her and the way he picked at the bed sheet. But… she didn't comment on it. He had made it clear he was not like the old Doctor, he was much more reserved and bottled up rejecting closeness and affection… if she wanted truthful answers from him, she would have to wait for him to give them in his own time without her pushing.

"Doctor… as much as I know you are still him, it is difficult to wrap your head around at first. You know it's not just your body that changes, but your personality too… it's easy to forget that you're the same person when you don't act the same at all." She tried to explain.

"I am the same. I act the same." He protested.

"No, no you don't…" Clara wasn't looking at him, she was looking at the bow tie in her hand. "You are cold, calculated and questioning. You reject affection and your insults are just a little too close to home..."

She glanced up to see his stunned expression.

"The other you was childish, excited and fun. He was affectionate and he was a joker…" Clara shrugged, the differences between the Doctor she first met and this new one was something she realised long ago and though it still hurt, it was something she came to term with.

They sat in a few minutes of awkward silence until the Doctor asked "Do… do you want me to be like that?" he frowned as he asked.

Clara gave him a grin. "No Doctor, because it wouldn't be_ you_, would it?"

"Well good." The Doctor's remained expressionless, but Clara thought she saw a pleased look glimmer across it at her answer. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. "Because this is me now. I cannot be him."

Clara studied his face for a second, looking for any kind of an expression but he was studying her right back without giving anything away. She looked down at the bow tie in her hand, and handed it back to him carefully. "You should probably put this away." She said.

She completely understood the symbolism of her move. She half expected him to comment on her actions as he studied her again, but took the bow tie and put it in his own pocket – the tiniest, faintest smile slipping across his lips. She was pleased he didn't ruin to moment by commenting, she understood. She accepted this new Doctor, her mourning for the daft young face finished – yes It would still hurt sometimes to think of him, but she had to remember that somewhere deep down underneath this new cold Doctor with a distant personality and hardened hearts he was still the same man. He always would be.

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><p><em>Bit of a fluffy chapter I guess, we'll get back to the action next chapter :P <em>


	5. Chapter 5

_Fair warning, some major fluff in this chapter - and if anyone needs anything cleared up about what the monster does I'll put up a little explanation next chapter, not sure I made it clear enough. _

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><p><strong>Chapter Five <strong>

Clara and the Doctor had been hiding with Micky, Jack and Martha for three days now – and Clara wasn't the only one getting annoyed with him. Not for the first time the Doctor had locked himself into the bedroom and Jack into his own bedroom after a glorious shouting match.

"He never used to be this concerned about risking one of his so called friends." Micky grumbled as he flicked across the partially broken TV channels.

Secretly Clara agreed with Micky, the Doctor had never had a trouble with taking a risk until now, but still she felt the need to defend him. "That's not fair Micky."

Micky levelled his glare on Clara now rather than the TV. "Why do you keep defending him? Isn't it enough you've been ripped apart to die a thousand times for him? That he won't even let you go home? But you have to keep excusing this obnoxious grumpy git?"

Clara bristled. "Because I didn't _just_ die for him a thousand times did I? I _saved_ him a thousand times. I've seen _every single him _there is or has even been, I _understand_ his pain and hurt and maybe this time around he's just a little unsure if he can handle it. If _you_ could avoid feeling more pain wouldn't you try it? And anyway he's not just an obnoxious grumpy git. He's _my_ obnoxious grumpy git, so I'm the only one who gets to call him that okay?"

Micky still looked pissed off, but he didn't say anything further. Clara didn't really give him a chance before she left the flat for the first time since they'd arrived.

Outside Clara fell in love with the fresh breeze that hit her face, the hint of the beach lingering as she took deep breathes and wrapped her arms around herself against the cold and couldn't help but remember Micky's comment about the Doctor refusing to take her home. She'd nearly forgotten his refusal.

How long had it even been since she ran out on her family that Christmas day soon as she heard the TARDIS engines outside her apartment building? She fished a newspaper out of a rubbish bin and looked at the date. If this was todays Newspaper then it was four days _after_ Christmas. Her dad was probably freaking out wondering if she'd ran away with the naked Swedish boyfriend. She stood there, wondering if maybe she should write a letter or send a post card explaining she'd decided to go travelling or something to her father… which was when she felt someone at her back, a breath ghosting over her ear.

"Doctor?" she asked, her voice hopeful and questioning because if it wasn't him she was going to scream and run.

"Where are you going?" the familiar Scottish brogue rolled the 'r's again just the way she liked it, but the way he only ever did when he was angry.

"Getting out of that flat. You have to admit three days of tense conversation waiting for some beast to come rip at our memories of you doesn't exactly make a good atmosphere." Clara shrugged, dropping the newspaper into the bin and turning to look at the Doctor, having to crane her head up since he apparently refused to take a step back.

The Doctor frowned down at her. "I know you were considering running home Clara. I don't blame you."

"I think running to London from Cardiff would take a while Eyebrows." Clara replied with a roll of her eyes. "I was considering writing my father a letter explaining I decided to travel and that my naked Swedish boyfriend did not murder me or something. But I wasn't thinking about running home, honestly don't you trust me Doctor?" she sounded offended.

He looked honestly surprised. "But I thought you wanted to go home?"

"Do _you_ want me to go home?"

"No." he sounded rushed. "I still need you."

Clara frowned at that. "Why?"

"You make me a better man."

Clara nodded, still frowning and still confused. "Well, if I make you a better man then I suppose I should tell you that you need to stop what you're doing."

He was back to frowning too. "What I'm doing?"

"You know how we can draw this creature in. Let us do it."

"No."

"Yes Doctor otherwise we're going to be here an awful long time. You've admitted it would be far easier to find this thing with the TARDIS but she's not going to land until it's gone so you've got very little choice other than using one of us to draw that beast in with our memories."

The Doctor still looked stubborn as he finally moved out of her personal space where he had been towering over her for the last few minutes, instead moving to the railing to look out over the calm water. Clara moved up beside him.

"What would you rather, risk one of us or stay here for days, weeks or months?" she asked just as stubborn as him.

He paused, frowning at the water. "I feel so conflicted."

Clara looked down at her hands on the railing. "Please don't make me push you." She asked quietly. "I don't want to force you into action, but if you don't make this decision then I _will_ make it for you."

The Doctor moved fast. He flipped her around so her back was pressed against the railing and he was holding onto the railing either side of her, trapping her. "You dare threaten me Oswald?" he practically growled.

"I dare threaten you Doctor because you _need_ to take a risk. The oncoming storm has lost his nerve." Clara replied fighting to keep her voice hard, trying not to be cowed under those ice cold eyes and frowning eyebrows.

"Or maybe he gained some sense!" The Doctor growled back quietly so as not to attract stares. "Maybe I am sick of people dying on me, maybe I do not want to risk the ones who managed to survive being around me!"

"You would rather they live in fear of some mind stealing monster?"

"If it means they live, yes."

Clara couldn't help it. It was like she could feel his pain, she reached her hand up and rested it on the Doctors cheek. He pulled away at first looking more than alarmed, but surprisingly he leaned into her touch after a few seconds and even closed the distance between then to rest his forehead on hers. "I know." She said, feeling something catch in her throat. "I _know_ how tired you are of losing everyone, of carrying on alone, tired of the hurt, the pain…"

He pressed his head against her more, eyes shut tight, as if it was the only way he could keep the pain of her words at bay.

"But that's why you need me isn't it?" Clara pushed, knowing she should while he was still feeling too raw but knowing there was no other way out of the situation. "You need me to push you, to make you do the things you dare not do…"

Clara reached up with her other hand, shaking just a fraction she removed the memory blocking bracelet from his wrist – and then removed her own.

OoO

Which is why, seventy two hours later, Clara stood between the shackled Doctor, Micky, Martha and Jack. Her own wrists where shackled behind her back, but she had shuffled in front of the others to sit in front of the no longer invisible beast that wasn't. It was barely a beast, more of a child. Somewhat humanoid in shape, it cried but started at Clara with large blue eyes as Clara made up her mind – to give up a part of her humanity.

This was not a monster, this was a child that was unseen but wanted to be loved. Which was why she had been hunting down memories of the Doctor in the first place. Somewhere in her time stuck on earth she had come across a man so loved she had wanted to be him, she wanted to be just as loved. She had wanted to find him, take his essence, become part of him, and be loved like him. Instead, Clara had argued and made her see the Doctors countless enemies. And the creature had turned its attention to Clara – the girl was really was loved.

"Clara…" The Doctor said her name weakly behind them, no doubt to protest her decision.

"What would she take?" Clara asked, uncertainty wavering in her voice.

"Your shape from your younger self…" his voice wavered.

"Your years, your life… the thing that is human." The creature finished off for him.

Clara's mind whirled. This girl could take her life. She would be free to live up a life travelling with the Doctor who so insistently needed her. Her family would have this new child to care for… losing the thing that was human concerned her, but really what was it that made her human? Her compassion? He DNA? Those where things that could not be lost, not completely.

"Then do it. I give you part of me freely, no one deserves to be invisible forever." Clara said smiling when the creature did before it launched itself at her suddenly.

She barely understood what happened next, however she remembered hearing yelling and the familiar buzz that was the Doctors sonic screwdriver before arms grabbed her as she fell and someone was holding her close. She opened her eyes long enough to see the Doctor looking down at her worried, and just past him a face she was familiar with as her own, but younger and more embarrassingly when she was going through a phase of choppy haircuts and thick Goth eyeliner. She didn't have too much time to dwell on it however. She blacked out rather swiftly.

OoO

When Clara awoke she did so groggily.

And confused, because she knew her eyes where open but it took a while for a golden haze to move before she could see again. Was someone shining a torch into her eyes?

She sat up, wishing she hadn't because her head began pounding, and looked around for someone. Instead she was greeted with the familiar walls of her room on the TARDIS. So the ship had come back after she shared with that girl then? The girl! Clara's thoughts began to race before she felt the soothing brush of the TARDIS's consciousness in her mind.

"Is that you assuring me everything worked out?" Clara asked the ship, one hand holding her head as if pounded like a drum. The TARDIS stroked her mind again, still soothing.

"Oooh…" Clara groaned as she moved out of the bed, standing up and wobbling only slightly. "I feel like my skin was on fire!" she put her hand on the TARDIS wall to steady herself, feeling it hum under her hand. She was being oddly concerned about her.

Clara wobbled around the corridor until she ended up at the console room, she had been looking for the Doctor but she found the room empty. "Don't suppose you could tell me what happened after I passed out?" she asked the TARDIS as she leaned on the console.

She felt the TARDIS brush her consciousness again. Was that a yes, maybe?

"Did I save him?" was Clara's first question.

A soft beep from the console. She was sure it was a yes.

Clara bit her lip. "Is this feeling a side effect of what I did with that girl?"

Silence, eerie.

"No?" Clara frowned. "Did he do this to me? Did he try to save me?"

Silence again.

Clara's frown deepened to one she was sure would rival the Doctors. "Did _you_ do this to me?"

Another beep. Another yes.

Clara rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Thank you… you old cow." Clara said with a smile and affection tilt to her voice. She felt the brush of the TARDIS against her mind again, though with what emotion she had no idea, maybe relief that she wasn't angry.

"So where is the Doctor?" Clara asked after a few minutes in which she and the sentient machine shared an awkward silence in which they acknowledged their changed relationship.

The door of the TARDIS swung open, Clara assumed this meant the Doctor was outside wherever they were. Feeling a bit steadier on her feet, she ventured outside to search for him.

It wasn't hard.

She had no idea where they were but it was beautiful. A forest of pink cherry blossoms and long soft grass, in the middle of which with his back to one of said trees sat the Doctor. He was sitting with one leg outstretched before him, the other was bent and allowed him to rest his elbow on it so he could raise his hand to cover his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. He obviously didn't notice her approach.

"Doctor what happened?" she asked softly, couching down.

The Doctor removed his hand from his face and fixed her with those new glaring blue eyes of his – only know she knew he was actually glaring at her, the normally ice blue was dark and stormy, a mixture of emotions that she could only just begin to sort out. Rage, fear…

"You stupid fragile human." He practically spat at her, like an angry cat. "You were so prepared to jump into deaths arms again!"

"What?" Clara frowned, confused and still a bit groggy.

The Doctor had stood, his rage and his naturally taller height making Clara feel just a tad intimidated as she too stood and yet he still towered over her. "I tell you I will not risk your life anymore Clara, and yet you go ahead and try jumping into the flames the first time you get a chance!"

Maybe this was too much for Clara's head, maybe she was up and about too soon, but she had absolutely no energy to argue with him – instead she concentrated on trying to keep standing as he raged above her until he suddenly stopped and frowned. She didn't even realise she'd lost her balance until the Doctor had dove forward to catch her.

One hand on her waist and one at the small of her back Clara sighed as the Doctor first held her up gingerly but finally he dragged her closer to him in what was still not a hug, not exactly, more a desperate need to hold her and make sure she was still there.

"Doctor tell me what happened, I don't remember passing out." Clara begged, her hand clutching his shirt.

The Doctor sighed, most of his rage disappearing at the soft sound of her sleepy weak voice, and he lowered himself and her down to the ground again until they were sitting – with Clara half across his lap, finding himself reluctant to let her go. "You remember letting that creature take some of your essence?"

"Yes."

"She took a small portion of you, the real you and not the echo's of you. But your mind was already damaged from the echo's you tore yourself into… it was too much for your mind and your body was going to give out…"

Clara felt the Doctor's hands tighten on her side and arm where he held her as though he was still afraid she was going to die in his arms.

"The TARDIS hinted that she was the one that saved me."

He hesitated. "…Yes."

"She might have given you some of her own regeneration energy, she tends to sore the leftover residual energy from my own regenerations for her own use. I believe she saw you worthy enough to receive her help." The Doctors voice was thankful, soft and she could bet he was looking fondly at his blue box- his one constant companion.

"Oh… what does that mean?"

"I have no idea." He replied truthfully. "She hasn't done it before."

They sat like that for a minute, uncertainty and fragile emotions hanging in the air. "And the girl, is she okay?"

"Yes Clara. But do you have any idea what you've done to yourself?" he pulled her away from him then, he was still frowning and the rage was still in his eyes but it was smothered again like it usually was by his sadness. "That girl, that alien, now believes she is human – she has your younger face. Duplicate memories of your first eighteen years of life. She has taken your life and your family, altered any history of you – you Clara Oswald do not exist, that other girl does."

"I understand that." Clara sighed.

The Doctor's eyebrows raised in surprise. He had been so sure she didn't understand her situation. "Then why did you do it?" he asked softly. "Please don't say for me, not again."

"No, not just for you." Was Clara's reply, not afraid to meet his eyes. "For that girl as well, no one deserves to be invisible and not know what it is like to be loved. And for my family… I know my family love me, and I love them… but lefts face I'm travelling with you and I haven't told them as far as they think I'm doing nothing in my life since I stopped looking after the kids, all they're doing is worrying about me and rightly so! It's better this way, for them to have Clara that wants to stay with them and be safe and loved…" Despite her words Clara couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice, and of course the Doctor caught it.

"Clara, I didn't say I'd never take you back... and your family didn't have to know you'd been gone." He looked a little horrified.

"When you stop needing me, but will you ever stop needing me Doctor?" she asked with a sigh, resting her head on the Doctors chest despite him still holding her rather rigidly. "Anyway, who ever said I'd _want_ to leave you? Maybe _the Lonely God_ doesn't have to stay lonely…"

The Doctor still held her rigid. "I told you not to say you did it for me."

Clara smiled a little, despite knowing he couldn't see her face. "I just explained I did it for more than just you didn't I?"

The Doctor said nothing, but after a few moments Clara felt him relax against the tree at his back again and she took the opportunity to cuddle into him – hearing his double hearts racing in his chest really spoke volumes of his panic. She enjoyed this closeness, knowing soon enough he'd push her away again. She yawned, the burning on her skin was beginning to pass but was leaving her feeling almost fuzzy and tired.

"Where are we?" she asked and yawned against his chest. "I find it very peaceful."

"I can tell, if you fall asleep on me please refrain from drooling or I won't hesitate to leave you out here all night." Was his reply, and Clara couldn't be sure if he was joking because his voice was still tight. "We're on a planet called Swania – known for its beautiful blossom tree forests."

As the warmth on her skin began to ebb she became increasingly aware of just how cold the Doctor was underneath her. "You're freezing." She commented, taking her hand from her arm and rubbing it between both of her own.

He seemed surprised and tried to pull his hand out of hers, but the attempt was weak and he admitted it. "It's just me this time around. I'm always cold even for a timelord."

"Maybe it's just your age this time around?" she teased lightly, too tired to be serious as she ended up putting his hand down on her lap and covering it with her own.

Unseen to her the Doctor blushed, his hand certainly warming up on her thigh though he was sure it was from embarrassment. Clara thought nothing of the contact, especially as another question came to her ever sleepy mind. "You did say goodbye to the others didn't you?" she asked him "You didn't just take off in your blue box without a word?"

"Of course I said goodbye." The Doctor made no attempt to sound offended – he had just vanished without a goodbye a few times, she was right to accuse him. "I stayed there a full twelve hours because the TARDIS locked me out while she was healing you." He confessed.

"Really? Your lady in blue locked you out?" Clara was too tired to hide her amusement.

"Indeed. _My_ lady in blue locked _me_ out to take care of _you_." His hand gave her a squeeze then having momentarily forgotten his hand on her thigh.

Clara had moved her head very slightly to look at the TARDIS. If the box was capable of expression she would have sworn it was looking a little anxious – how she could tell from the simple wooden appearance she had no idea, but it made her smile a sad smile as she said "You know your box didn't do it for me of course. She did it for you, she always does what's best for you."

The Doctor said nothing. Clara was probably right. He sighed suddenly, resting his chin on her head. "Impossible girl, what did I do to deserve you?"

"You needed someone to kick your sulky butt off that cloud." Clara quipped with a yawn feeling her eyes getting heavy. It took the Doctor a second to realise she was referring to both their past selves – though she was absolutely right of course. She continued after her yawn "and you're a good man, didn't you once tell me every lonely monster needs a companion?"

"You think I'm a good man even after all you've seen of me and my past?" the Doctor asked with a frown, chin still on her head.

"Of course." she replied her voice becoming increasingly thick with sleep. "You're just like every other person with a good heart. When you have a good heart you help too much, you trust too much, you give too much, you love too much and it always seems to be you who hurts too much in consequence. Only you Doctor have two good hearts and have been around far longer than anyone else with a good heart, of course you're going to hurt far more and be far darker than anyone else in consequence."

The Doctor was completely silent, surprised at her. By the time he spoke again Clara had fallen asleep against him "My Impossible girl you are… impossible." He smiled a little against her dark hair.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Alright so last chapter, not sure it made real sense so I'll just give a quick explanation. Clara gave apart of herself up to an un-named beast that had been hunting Jack Harkness, Martha and Mickey for there memories on the Doctor - who it was originally going to take apart of. The TARDIS had abandoned them on earth at the time because the HADS detected that the beast could have morphed into a TARDIS had it gotten its hand on her. Anyway because Clara willingly shared herself with the creature it duplicated itself into her when she was eighteen - her memories and all - and took her place on Earth and with her family and friends who would not realise anything was different.  
><strong>_

_**Hope that was a good explanation and cleared up any confusion - and hope you like the next chapter, which is mostly just for fun but does lead up to something important, trust me ;) **_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six <strong>

They had been a little distant with each other since Clara fell asleep on the Doctors lap six days ago. She had woken up in her freshly decorated room in the TARDIS, no Doctor in sight and the mental brush of the TARDIS against her mind as if the ship had been waiting for her to wake up.

In fact Clara was sure the ship was constantly there now in her mind – possibly a good thing because Clara found herself unsteady on her feet a few times a day, apparently her body still recovering from whatever the TARDIS had done to her. The Doctor seemed equally worried as his ship, though he had no answers, and Clara suspected he felt guilty about the situation since he was being distant.

The again she wasn't exactly following him about like a puppy either. She was always like this when she felt out of sorts, like a wounded animal she preferred to seek her own company and read or watch television. Of course there was no TV on the TARDIS so she mostly spent her time in the Library.

Until one morning when she had walked out of the kitchen in her loose pyjama bottoms and shirt on her way to the Library when she found a new door. She grinned – loving it when the sentient ship came up with a new room. Of course the TARDIS's last creation when she'd complained of boredom had really annoyed the Doctor – anti-grav swimming would annoy anyone.

So Clara opened the door cautiously this time, a grin quickly forming when she found what was obviously a cinema room. "So I'm not the only one who enjoyed the movies eh Blue?" Clara asked the TARDIS out loud. The ship made a noise that could have been laughter.

OoO

The Doctor had expected Clara to turn up in the library again as she often did these days. He waited for a while, soft music playing to try keep at bay the loneliness that silence brought, trying to keep his focus on the quantum physics book in his hands until he gave up at his useless attempted to not worry about the girl who sent both his hearts racing even though he was on his own ship, his own sentient ship, who would never allow harm to come to her.

He felt the TARDIS laughing at him when he finally got up to search for the girl.

"Be quiet old thing" he muttered at his ship, not liking when she laughed at him. The ship just made the laughing noise louder.

The Doctor walked out the library and at first he walked passed the new door, simply used to there being no door there, but eventually he back tracked figuring the TARDIS had cooked up something new and Clara had gone to investigate. He wasn't wrong. Clara was sitting on a cushy looking sofa hiding behind a pillow as some blonde woman on a large screen screamed and ultimately had her life end at the hands of some television monster.

"Clara?" he asked.

She looked up at him, the pillow dropping. "Oh, hey" she greeted with a soft smile. "The TARDIS made a movie room, you've got more movies in here than Netflix."

"I don't know what Netflix is, but I shall take your word for it." the Doctor leaned on the door frame.

"Why don't you come watch?" Clara invited. "We haven't hardly spent any time together since… well…"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and hesitated only a second before he sat down on the couch beside her, furthest away. Clara poked him with her toe. "I'm not going to bite, relax or you're going to stay that stiff and uncomfortable for this entire regeneration." She laughed.

The Doctor turned to her and fixed her with an odd stare, one she had not seen on his new face before. "Clara aren't you the least bit bothered that you can't go back to your family?"

She stopped prodding him with her toe and frowned clearly not expecting that. "It does bother me yes, but I'm trying to be optimistic. They get a new Clara, one who is going to stay there and not run the risk that she might die on another planet a billion of miles away and centuries into the future without them ever knowing what happened to her. They are happy, and I still love them. I always will." Clara flashed him a grin again. "Anyway, this does mean I get to travel with my best friend now without feeling very guilty about it."

The Doctor cocked his head to one side, much like his predecessor would have done when confuse and curious. He wished he could not feel guilty about Clara's ruined life, but he did. He didn't voice that though, clever girl probably already knew anyway. "You felt guilty about traveling with me?" he asked instead.

Clara smirked, she had shuffled a bit closer to him when he relaxed. "Of course, who wouldn't? Sneaking off with you on a Wednesday and then sneaking back without anyone even knowing I'd been gone? Reminded me of the way I'd sneak out of my bedroom window as a kid to go to parties and be back before my parents realised in the morning. You were like a dirty little secret Doctor!"

He smirked back "And I bet a girl who used to climb out of her window to go to parties just loved having a dirty little secret?"

Clara snorted "Of course I did. Though I mustn't have been as sneaky as I was as a kid because everyone knew I was sneaking out to see a man – they were convinced I had a secret boyfriend. Though I doubted they would have expected the naked debacle you pulled on Christmas day."

The Doctors face went still and a little angry. It took Clara a moment to figure it was because she had mentioned his previous self. "He wasn't not your boyfriend Clara." He said, his voice rather stiff.

"I know" Clara replied her smile slipping quickly. "I never thought of you, him, that way back then."

"Back then?" a bit of a smile snuck back on to the Doctors face, and Clara was unsure if he was just teasing her. "What about now?"

"A lady never answers a question like that." Clara winked at him.

"Ladies also don't sneak out of windows to party, or sneak out to meet up with men. By default you're not much of a lady" He pointed out.

"Then you will allow me whatever I still have to not answer that question." She replied smugly, picking the cushion back up and turning back to the film. Clara did not miss the curious sideways glance he gave her.

OoO

"Earth. Again. We always end up back on Earth, I'm starting to get bored of Earth, Clara why do we always end up back here? We can't go longer than a week without seeing Earth again." the Doctor grumbled as he stepped out of the TARDIS with her behind him.

"Because a week is usually when we run out of milk?" Clara replied. The Doctor had found that his new taste buds where quite fond of tea, and anything sweet so she added "And sugar, we need sugar."

"There are other planets that sell milk and sugar." He huffed.

"Milk and sugar safe for human consumption?" Clara asked with a raised eyebrow remembering exactly how sick his previous self had made her by forgetting that a certain kind of apple they'd purchased in a market that was not safe for humans.

He blushed and grumbled "Swear if I ever see that floppy haired idiot I'll kill him." He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, flaring the red of his coat like a magician, and kicked the ground in annoyance.

Clara laughed "I'm not even going to touch the self-harming that would be." She looped her arm in his and dragged him off towards the market.

They were both thinking the same thing. For once they had stepped out of the TARDIS and not had to run for their lives. It was an eerie calm, they were both looking over their shoulders expecting _something_ to happen and nervous when it didn't. Clara couldn't help it, she had an odd feeling in her belly.

It started to rain and Clara laughed attempting to keep dry by putting her hands over her head, she was surprised however when the Doctor removed his magicians coat and wrapped it around her. "You're wearing a white shirt, that'll go see through if it gets wet." Clara pointed out.

"Better than you getting a cold Clara." Was his reply. "I'm just going to head over to that bookstore, why don't you go pick up the milk?"

"Why are you headed to a book store, what book doesn't the TARDIS have?" Clara laughed, she was already walked away though.

"A previous self of mine might have thrown my copy of the Half Blood Prince into a supernova when Snape killed Dumbledore."

"You're kidding?" Clara looked over her shoulder only a few steps away from him.

"I'm not." He walking away.

"Which you was it?" Clara grinned "I'm betting it was Ten."

"I-I am not saying anything." He didn't looked at her as he walked away, hiding his grin that he knew looked just a little manic on this new face.

Clara was grinning just as much, pulling the Doctors coat further around herself, it smelled just like him – cinnamon and spice, a warm smell that rather contradicted his cold appearance. Clara was just enjoying it, the way the Doctor had warmed up considerably since she'd put to rest his fears that she'd soon regret giving up her human life. Which is probably why she didn't register the warning tingle that danced across her skin until it was too late, she felt the hook like sensation in her belly button before a blinding white light enveloped her and she was taken by transmat for a ride.

OoO

Clara landed with a heavy thud onto dirty floor, her head bounced back from the force of it and was knocked against something solid – the wall she assumed- but pain blossomed just above her eye. She was pleased however that she didn't not let out a sound of pain but rather just bit her lip against it.

Which was when she realised all around her where similar thuds and painful noises as other people were deposited swiftly into cages similar to her own. Clara touched the glowing green bars and soon found out that they burned – she hissed in pain.

"I really hate transmat beams" a familiar American tone sounded across the room from her.

"Jack? Jack Harkness?" Clara asked standing up. She peered through her bars and found four cages identical to her own each holding people she recognised. Jack was accompanied by two others, Mickey Smith and Rose Tyler.

"And just who are you sweet thing?" Jack asked, he'd frowned and looked up at her when she asked his name. He didn't seem at all bothered she'd known his name when he saw her.

"And I suppose you know how we got here do you?" Another voice Clara recognised, in the cage beside hers three people she defiantly knew. Rory Williams was the one who'd spoken – his wife Amelia Pond was sitting on the floor rubbing her head and back where she'd hit the floor, but River Song was standing, staring quizzically at Clara and the others.

"What the bloody hell was that?" a rather demanding voice joined the conversation, another told that voice to hush and Clara saw in the last cage Donna Noble lying on the floor and yet still looking pissed off while Martha fussed over her – always the nurse.

"Transmat" Clara and Jack answered at the same time – he grinned and winked at her for it but Clara frowned. It was very obvious that this Jack, Mickey and Martha where the passed ones to those she'd met previously. She was going to have to watch her mouth when she spoke to these past companions.

"What the hell is going on? We here in Cardiff, where are we now?" Mickey sounded completely panicked.

"Calm down Mickey, the Doctor will have a plan – he'll find us." Rose assured him with pat on the back.

"Where is the Doctor?" Martha had looked up at his mention and frowned at Rose, Jack and Mickey.

"You know the Doctor?" Rose was intrigued as she moved close as her cage would allow to Martha and Donna.

"If I'm not mistaken, you are the Doctors companions or at least his past companions?" River asked looking around at everyone. They all nodded.

"Don't suppose anyone knows _who_ brought us here do they?" Rory asked. Clara remembered why she liked Rory – he asked good questions.

"_That would be us."_ An eerie voice that raised the hairs on their necks answered – though there was no one to be seen. Clara assumed this meant there was some sort of speaker system on the ship they were being held on. She assumed it was a ship anyway – if she strained to hear she could hear engines and feel tiny vibrations on the floor and hands.

"Who is 'us'?" Clara asked, mouth running away with her she also said "usually you bad guys can't resist a chance to gloat – or do you always wait for the Doctor to be here before you do that?"

There was a pause. Clara was sure she saw at least Jack, Rose and Rory grin, eventually the voice of their captors returned just as creepily. "_We are the faceless. We are the law_."

'That was a bit creepy' Clara thought. There was the tell-tale sound of a speaker disconnecting, she assumed this mean that their captors no longer wished to speak with them. Across the room she heard Jack sung softly "I fought the law and the, law won…"

"We're bait, aren't we?" Clara asked, looking to the cage beside her where River, Rory and Amy stood.

"Yes but for which Doctor." River replied darkly. "I assume you're with him after us then?"

Clara hesitated. As far as River and her Doctor knew he was on his last go around. "Yes." Was all she replied, unsure what she was allowed to say and what she was not in such a paradox creating situation. "Which would make Donna and Martha with Sandshoes Doctor and Rose, Jack and Mickey with the northern one."

They all looked up at her, frowning. "How'd you know our names?" Donna demanded. "Come on, and why are you all wet?"

"It was raining when they took me" Clara shrugged, about to explain in short how she knew them when Rose suddenly piped up.

"You where the one who gave me the job in the shop where I first met the Doctor!" she said looking unsure if it was a good or bad thing.

"Yeah not me, or it was me, but not this me." Clara's head was starting to hurt with a dull ache, the same way it always did when she tried to remember echo's since the Doctor fiddled with her head. "Short way to explain, I split myself up thousands of times and scattered myself along the Doctors time stream to save him when an enemy of his did the same thing to try and destroy him."

"Blimey." Amy finally spoke having stopped the dancing lights in her eyes from bashing her head, she turned to River. "And I thought you're going backwards to the Doctor was complicated."

"So…" Martha said after a little while of silence. "Anyone have any ideas how to help the Doctor find us?"

OoO

The Doctor had been horrified when he realised he could not find Clara. When he'd come out of the bookstore he'd just assumed she'd wandered off in the market, and it was a human market so no danger of course. He wasn't too concerned, he went back to the TARDIS to wait for her to come back.

But she didn't come back.

Part of him had been sure she'd fooled him, she'd tricked him and gone to find her family even if that shape shifting alien had taken her place. His anger at her had been growing and he was about to just leave without her when the TARDIS mentally slapped him, console screen spinning until it showed him stats that showed a transmat beam had been used not even a few hours ago in the market. It didn't take any more convincing on lady blue's part for him to assume it was Clara who'd been taken.

He tracked where the transmat had come from, about to rush in with the TARDIS to take back his Clara when he stopped suddenly. It had been too easy, too simple. There was no attempt to hide the transmat at all.

Maybe it was his new mind set, full and of new suspicions and ready to tear anyone who dared harm his Clara apart, but he stopped fiddling with the console for a moment. He would stalk first, and watch.

OoO

Sometimes the others slept. Clara couldn't sleep. She had been pacing for a while, until her legs ached, but eventually she sat down on the dirty floor just like everyone else. Her back to the wall, she closed her eyes and did her best to try sleep.

'_Clara' _

She sat up abruptly "Doctor?"

In the cage beside her Rory was the only one still awake, Amy's head resting on his lap and River's on his shoulder. He frowned at Clara, concerned. "I think you where dreaming Clara."

"Yeah probably." Clara worried her lip before she settled back into the same position and closed her eyes again.

'_Clara'_ his voice came again. _'Can you hear me Clara?'_

'_Doctor?' _Clara tried thinking her response this time.

'_Who else has access to your extremely cluttered head?'_ was his sarcastic response. How did he even manage to sound sarcastic in a telepathic conversation?

'It's testimony to how sarcastic this new attitude of yours is when you can sound sarcastic telepathically.' Clara told him so.

'_Hush now impossible girl, and tell me what is going on?'_ he asked getting to business. '_And try not to let your mind wander, it's far too little to be let out on its own.' _

'_I'm not the only one of your companions here.'_ Clara warned first, unsure what his feelings would be about his past companions. She knew he genuinely loved many of them. _'Our captors called themselves the faceless ones, the law. Jack and I think they're a bit pig headed but you should be careful because we're just the bait for whichever you shows up first.' _

'_Ingenious trap. I'm always being told that my greatest weakness is the compassion I hold for my companions.'_ He sounded like he might be rolling his eyes, or using his dark voice that meant he was annoyed with his past actions.

Clara bit her lip, eyes still remaining firmly shut as she pulled the Doctors jacket further to her face against the cold and breathing in the cinnamon and spice scent. _'You don't come unless you know it's not a trap okay?_' she told him.

'_Clara!'_ he admonished even telepathically. _'Of course it is a trap, but that doesn't mean I am going to allow them to hold my impossible girl any longer than I allow.'_

Clara couldn't help but feel a little thrill. '_Have you always been this possessive?'_ she teased him, hoping he got that tone from her.

'_Yes, and don't you ever forget It._' was his parting reply.

When she was sure he was gone Clara opened her eyes again and couldn't help but share a goofy happy grin with Rory, who gave her a look that plainly thought she'd lost her mind. Clara didn't care though, she got to fall asleep under her Doctors jacket knowing he'd never let anyone harm her.

A few hours later – or she assumed it was a few hours later – she was awoken by someone crashing into the room and several cried of "Doctor!"

Clara looked up too, only to find three Doctors she remembered staring at her. She'd never actually met the one in the leather jacket though but she assumed he was the northern one by his accent when he yelled "Rose!" and dove across the room to the cage where she was locked away.

Clara did however remember sandshoes Doctor who made a large point of never looking directly at Rose as he walked very stiffly over to a thankful Martha and more than exasperated Donna who couldn't resist yelling "What bloody well took you so long spaceman?"

The floppy haired man she remembered all but skipped over to River and family and Clara watched as they all smiled fondly at each other exchanging questions about each other's welfare. She turned her attention back to the door where these three had come from.

But her Doctor didn't show.

"So Doctor" Amy asked "Any idea how to get us out of this thing?" she pointed at the cage. "Only those bars burn and there's not exactly enough space for us all without singeing – only person who's comfy is dear Clara over there."

The Eleventh Doctor looked at Clara and gave a polite smile. "Hello, I'm the Doctor" he introduced.

"I already know that." Clara couldn't help but grin back, she'd be lying to say she did not miss him still, so she couldn't help but slyly add "Chin boy."

Eleven looked taken aback, especially when the ship rocked slightly and gave a sudden groan sending everyone to one side. Luckily for the companions that side was away from the burning bars. A sudden buzzing had them all alarmed – the three Doctors looked at each other with grimaces- before the same kind of bars descended from the ceiling trapping all three of them where they stood.

"Do all your rescues end up this way?" River asked very loudly while everyone sat in a stunned silence.

"Surprisingly a few actually go to plan." Was the Tenth Doctors reply. "Well, sometimes. Not really. Yeah they all end up this way."

'_Welcome Doctor'_ the speakers had come back on at some point without their noticing. _'Welcome to your end.'_

"You would not believe how many have said that to us." Elven called out sounding very bored and amused.

"And every single one of them have been wrong." Was Ten's addition to the conversation.

"But just for arguments sake, why do you think you've finally got me?" added Nine.

'_This is your trail Doctor. You have slaughtered many, you will finally be held accountable. We are the faceless. We are the law.' _The voice, still creepy and bodiless, had no emotion same as usual but Clara would have sworn it was smug, logical even. Enough that all three Doctors still hesitated before letting any other expression over come their faces.

"Ah yes well." It was Ten who spoke up. "You have just locked one of the greatest minds in the universe in a room with himself… I'd call that a big mistake."

There was no reply. Just a simple disconnecting sound, same as last time.

"Alright then." Nine clapped his hands together, looking at his older selves. "Whose got a plan?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Clara and the other companions were beginning to fill a little dizzy. Hunger and dehydration starting to get the best of them, and Clara was starting to get a little bit panicky again having not heard from her Doctor since before she fell asleep whenever that was. Time was hard to track without a watch.

She was dozing when she felt him again in her mind.

'_CLARA!_' she winced at the mental yelling.

"Clara, are you alright?" Eleven had noticed her wince and didn't look convinced when she gave him a shaky thumbs up.

"Peachy keen!" she replied with a smile, a smile that got bigger in fond memory when he fiddled nervously with his bow tie. She closed her eyes again and concentrated.

'_You don't have to yell'_ she thought, and for a few moments there was nothing so she assumed that the Doctor hadn't gotten her message.

'_Yes I did. I've been trying to reach you for a while, your mind is very fuzzy. Apparently you're so taken with my younger faces I was unable to get through'_ he sounded sour.

'_I would imagine the fuzziness has more to do with a lack of food and water'_ Clara replied hopefully conveying her annoyance at his insinuation.

He paused. _'You've been there almost two days and they haven't given you nourishment? That's not a good sign Clara.'_

'_Already know that, just had your ninth, tenth and eleventh selves discussing how they do not expect us to live until Donna threw her shoe at ten.'_ Clara was sure he knew she rolled her eyes. Then a thought struck her. '_How did you know your other selves where here anyway?'_

'_You couldn't hear me, but I could hear your thoughts. You're not skilled at hiding them very well from me yet when I have this link open so far.' _

There was a pause, Clara tried to remember if she thought of anything embarrassing since he'd begun speaking in her head. He obviously knew that's what she was doing because he suddenly said _'Do I really smell like cinnamon and spice?'_

'_Shut up.'_ Clara blushed _'Was there anything particular you wanted or did you just pop in for a chat while I slowly starve to death?' _

'Yes. I need you to scramble their surveillance. Sonic screwdriver was in the pocket of my jacket, setting two. Tell my other selves the same setting. And then hold on Clara, it's going to get bumpy.' He was gone by the time Clara had dug the sonic screwdriver from his pocket.

It took her a moment to fiddle the little instrument onto setting two but when she did it did the buzzing it usually emitted was lower than usual and everyone looked up suddenly – even the Doctors themselves. "Setting two" she told them pointedly "Scramble their surveillance. Oh and hold on."

Eleven did not ask questions, he just took out his screwdriver, almost identical to hers, and copied her. Ten did so with some hesitance, nine just frowned – he'd taken the screwdriver out, but much like her Doctor now he asked a question first. "How do you know what to do?" he frowned deeply giving her a look.

Clara couldn't help it, she looked at River and stole her word "Spoilers." Eleven and River grinned, though it was almost more of a sad grin then anything.

The ship gave a groan all of a sudden, somewhere distantly an alarm sounded and Clara grinned knowing exactly who was behind all the chaos that was no doubt happening. The others looked confused, though there was more of a suspicious glint in Elevens eye. She had to remind herself that as far as he was aware he was going to die in Trenzalore.

The speakers came back on and to her delight a gruff voice sounded "Well done, Impossible girl!" it was gone just as soon as it had come but it was enough to make Clara stand and grin.

She wasn't standing for long however. The ship lurched violently to one side as Nine yelled something about the left engine breaking down. In slammed Clara and several others including the various Doctors into the side of their cages – Clara yelped and hissed where the burning bars connected with her flesh which immediately burned and blistered her hands and up her arms and cheek.

There were a couple more tremors and violent shakes from the ship – eventually causing their cell bars to retract and sending everyone tumbling into the same wall. Clara and Rose fell together on the same space – in the path of a crate. They were grabbed out of the way by the Doctors, Rose falling swiftly into Tens arms as he yanked her away and Clara was pulled flush against Eleven and they stayed that way everyone holding on to each other, until the ship stabilized engines no longer running as it drifted softly and quietly in space.

The doors to the room slid open and this time when the Doctor entered he did so eloquently. His hands tucked into his pockets as usual, feeling a little naked without his coat however, his ice blue eyes scanning the scene in front of him. Rory always the shy solider, was protecting both River and Amy. His tenth self looked frozen as he held onto Rose who held on just as tight. Donna was gripping hold of Jack and grinning like a fool while Martha and nine where exchanging awkward looks as they stepped away from each others embrace. Mickey was the only one who managed to stay standing and look unafraid. What really caught his eye was Clara in the embrace of the foppish bow tie wearing man he had been before, the one he was sure she had fallen in love with.

He was careful however and continued to walk slowly into the room keeping his eyes on her as they all looked up at his footsteps. Clara's head snapped up, deep brown eyes wide and hopeful. She got a bright smile when she saw him, faltering a little when he did not smile back, however this did not stop Cara pulling out of Elevens arms to run across the room and throw her arms around her Doctor.

"What took you so long, Eyebrows!" she laughed, feeling suddenly euphoric when her Doctor for the first time since he regenerated put his arms back around her and span her around once though there was barely a smile and not even one laugh it was enough to let her know how he felt.

"Well I apologise for being cautious." Her Doctor rolled his eyes as he put her down, his hand immediately went to her face and he held her jaw softly, trailing a thumb over her burnt cheek. "Clara, my Clara… you have such a knack for getting injured." He watched her flinch in pain at his touch before he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead softly – just as his previous self would have done.

He looked up at the re-organising group then, each Doctor finding his own companions who like little humans seemed to want to stop and compare Doctor with each other. The Doctors where looking up at him so he nodded his head "Hello there Doctors. I'm the Doctor."

Eleven frowned and stepped forward just a bit. "But that's not possible." He mumbled low enough that the others could hear him.

"Should you two really be talking about this?" Clara asked before her Doctor could open his mouth.

"It's okay Clara, soon as we leave here the Paradox shall heal itself and my previous selves won't remember. Otherwise I wouldn't have let you out of my sight in that Market." Her Doctor said looking down at her. He hadn't released his grip on her at all – in fact his hand on her waist had gotten tighter, more possessive. "Anyway, Clara thank you for interrupting, Trenzalore is not what you think." Her Doctor looked down, eyes just as sad as they had always been but now there was a glint of happiness. "Not anymore."

Eleven was giving Clara an odd curious look now. The Doctor couldn't help it, he cleared his throat and pulled Clara away from him just a fraction. She knew exactly what he'd done as well because she glared at him, though the smile was still on her face.

"Well then _Doctor_" Eleven eventually bounced back to his fun self. "I suppose we should thank you, and then run before this ship gets caught up – I assume it was a part of a fleet considering it was 'the law' and all."

"Of course." her Doctor said curtly watching his younger self begin running off down a corridor.

"Come along ponds!" he called back behind him.

"We should get going too." Her Doctor said looking down. "I want to get you looked at, but also four TARDIS's on one ship is a good way to make her mad."

"How mad, are we talking run away again mad or explode mad?"

"Possibly implode, anything is possible."

"You sure know how to charm a girl."

"Don't I just?" he looked at her as he pointed her down a corridor "Should have seen how I had to charm her into landing with three TARDIS's already down here. Just go down there, I want to say something to myself."

She hesitated and he saw. "I'll be just a second, promise."

Clara bit her lip but replied "Rule one, the Doctor lies."

He looked taken aback for a second. "I will be there Clara, I swear."

"I know. Just making sure." She let go of his hand and carried on down the weirdly silent corridor alone, only breaking into a run when she saw the TARDIS waiting for her – old blue even opened her door as if to welcome Clara.

Inside Clara felt nothing but relief, she walked around the entire console room brushing her hand across every surface feeling the TARDIS hum underneath her. Until she caught sight of herself in a mirror that had miraculously appeared on one of the walls between the bookshelves. One side of her face and body was red and blistered, skin peeling from the burn. Very unattractive and now that she saw it very, very painful.

And yet as Clara leaned closer and pressed her fingers to the burn, it began to glow gold. At first Clara gasped and panicked trying to wave the mist away, and then she realised the warmth on her cheek, arm and hand was not hurting… she leaned closer to the mirror staring, open mouthed ad the skin began to heal. By the time the Doctor had walked into the TARDIS the glow was gone and she was healed.

The Doctor threw a lever on the TARDIS, allowing the ship to fall into the time vortex which she'd been trying to do since landing. "Well Clara, as much as catching up with the past was interesting I think we'd better take a trip to see the cat nuns. Those burns looked pretty bad."

"Doctor?" Clara was poking her cheek making sure what just happened was not an illusion. "I don't think I need cat nuns…"

"What but Clara, I –" he stopped talking to look at her face when she turned around. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know." Clara was walking down the steps towards him very slowly, cautiously with the way the Doctor was now looking at her like he was a startled animal that might bolt or attack. "There was a gold light and…" Clara suddenly fixed him with her stare no longer looked confuse. "It looked like the regeneration energy."

He looked stunned. "But that's impossible. Any energy should have left you after the TARDIS healed you."

Clara couldn't think of anything to say, so she just waved her arms the same way his previous self would have when she had no explanation. It had become a habit of hers when they had first started travelling.

Frowning and worried the Doctor whirled away from her and towards the console screen. She barely had a second before he had the TARDIS scan her. Whatever the results where they were not what he had expected – his face when slack with shock and Clara had a feeling that nothing short of a slap would bring him out of that stupor. Worrying her lip not at all sure she wanted to know what was on that screen she edged forwards to look over his shoulder.

The TARDIS had taken a full body scan of her, showing on the screen the outline of a human female. At the centre of this diagram sat a golden haze right inside her chest where Clara had no doubt her heart was. To the right of the diagram writing clear as day. 55% Human. 45% Timelord.

Clara felt her face go as slack as the Doctors.

OoO

"So…" Clara said into the eerie silence of the TARDIS console room. She had sat heavily in one of the Doctors arm chairs. He was still staring at the console screen. The TARDIS herself was making no noise at all. "I guess that answers the question to what happens when a TARDIS uses regeneration energy to save a human…"

"But… but…" the Doctor spluttered. "She didn't just save you. She changed you!"

Clara frowned. "My face isn't going to change is it?"

He looked up at her now, frowning. "What?" he asked like it was the last thing she should be worrying about.

"My face? It's not going to change like yours does is it?" she couldn't help but ask. She felt she might need some kind of mental preparation if it was going to happen.

The Doctor waved a hand as if dismissing her questions "No of course not. But as you have seen you have regeneration energy inside you, with seemingly unlimited access to it unlike me after I regenerate. Enough to heal your body when it is damaged."

"Okay…"

"Clara" he said it so softly this time she was startled into looking at him. He was staring at her, his eyes big and sad. "Are you not at all upset or angry about this?"

Oh.

He expected her to freak out, didn't he? Clara could understand it, maybe a couple of weeks ago she would had freaked out at his sentient ship changing her. And yet now she couldn't bring herself to be angry, not really. The ship had done it to save her life – even if it was for the Doctors sake and not hers.

"No" Clara said remembering to voice her thoughts this time. "She did this to save my life – though I bet she chose to fill me with whatever timelord DNA for your sake rather than mine after I shared some of my humanity with that girl. I can't find it to be angry at her for looking out for you and saving my life now can I, and I was hardly in a condition for either of you to ask permission?"

"But-"

Clara jumped up from her chair as the Doctor approached to place her finger on his lips and silence him. "I know what you're thinking Doctor. This makes me, what, as close to a timelord or lady as you're going to get until you find Gallifrey?"

He blinked under her hand, his expression a poker face that hid any thoughts of his.

"I know you're just a bit overjoyed about this. There's no need to feel bad about that." Clara shrugged, then gave a small smile "Maybe this means you'll stop worrying so much about me being just a fragile human?"

He pushed her hand from his face and stepped even closer to her "I doubt that Clara, you're still more human than alien."

And suddenly he hand embraced her, an actual hug compared to the other embraces he'd given her previously. This time she was pulled flush against his chest, able to feel his two beating hearts underneath her own, she could feel them pounding as he gripped her tightly in his arms. "I just - My Clara, my impossible girl…" his voice was thick with emotion but Clara knew that when she saw his face it would not have tears, this Doctor did not cry.

She smiled against his shoulder though. "_My_ Doctor." She countered.

He pulled away suddenly, she thought maybe she'd done something wrong, until his lips came crashing down on hers swallowing a squeak of surprise from her. It took her just a few seconds to melt into his demanding fiery kiss, his lips surprisingly soft, he nipped at her lower lip to beg for entrance which she gave at the same time her hands found their way into his curly silver hair.

When they finally parted for air – though she was sure he didn't need it – they were both panting and flush from their actions.

"I'm sorry" the Doctor practically gasped suddenly, running his hand through his hair – and action she'd seen his tenth self do often – "That shouldn't have happened, forget it. I'm sorry…" he practically ran out of the room before Clara had even registered his words.

She held a finger to her lips, watching the door he'd just exited out of with a growing smirk.


End file.
